Cyprus-Forum.com

[denizaksulu]

ok ok, back to donkeys now please...

Now that is a 'merakli' subject. The donkeys of Cyprus. Perhaps Connor would post pictures of his asses to recommence debate!!

[Tim Drayton]

It seems that this word actually entered the Greek language via the medium of rembetico music. I was enraptured by some really fine examples of this haunting, mournful music as I dined in a small eatery in Limassol yesterday. This probably explains how quite a matter-of-fact Turkish word has become embued with much more poetic meaning as it made the move into Greek.

Not knowing much Greek would there not be an equivalent Greek word for 'merakli'? Perhaps it entered Greece/Rebetiko via the Greek refugees of 1923 or therabouts.

Precisely, my understanding is that rembetico was originally the music of the refugees of 1923. Or have I got that wrong?

[denizaksulu]

It seems that this word actually entered the Greek language via the medium of rembetico music. I was enraptured by some really fine examples of this haunting, mournful music as I dined in a small eatery in Limassol yesterday. This probably explains how quite a matter-of-fact Turkish word has become embued with much more poetic meaning as it made the move into Greek.

Not knowing much Greek would there not be an equivalent Greek word for 'merakli'? Perhaps it entered Greece/Rebetiko via the Greek refugees of 1923 or therabouts.

Precisely, my understanding is that rembetico was originally the music of the refugees of 1923. Or have I got that wrong?

That is also my understanding. Thats why Rembetiko was allegedly looked down upon as foreign and dumped into the back streets of larger ciries (allegedly). Perhaps that is why the music of Rembetiko finds an audience among many Turks and Turkish Cypriots.

[Nikitas]

Deniz,

Meraklis in Greek. The closest English word is Amateur, which in turn is French (irony!) and means a person with intense passion for something, does it for its own sake and not for money or material reward, definitely more than mere interest. Meraki is the passion for something.

To get back to that donkey and its fine condition, means that someone is looking after it and doing it out of passion. In this day and age with donkeys having zilch economic value only true meraki would keep an animal and keep it in that condition. That animal could win shows in England. From what I can make out it is a mare (but I am not 100 per cent sure) yet look at the shape of that neck and the alert expression. A true Cypriot donkey! Should be on the flag.

[Nikitas]

Tim,

Rembetiko started with the refugees from Asia Minor in 1923. But its highest expression was in the creations of composers like Tsitsanis, Mitsakis, Panou, Tokas none of whom were from Asia Minor and some of the best lyrics are from people like Papadopoulos who was Athens born and bred.

The original rembetika were in fact called Smyrneika and were more like laments than the defiant rembetika of the post war period.

The reference in rembetika to cannabis use made it a target of the Metaxas government in the late 30s, but after the war all that changed.

[Oracle]

Speaking of Donkeys
Here i took a picture last Saturday of a Donkey in Paxna...

Beautiful surroundings, and he is gorgeous, looking right at you. What a lovely shiny coat. I bet he gets brushed down lovingly.

I wish he was mine

I've been wondering about that overly shiny coat ....

Ray .... Are you sure this is not a Mule?

[Maynard23]

Speaking of Donkeys
Here i took a picture last Saturday of a Donkey in Paxna...

Beautiful surroundings, and he is gorgeous, looking right at you. What a lovely shiny coat. I bet he gets brushed down lovingly.

I wish he was mine

I've been wondering about that overly shiny coat ....

Ray .... Are you sure this is not a Mule?

I hope not, if it is he won't have nothing to "Bray" about.

[Oracle]

Speaking of Donkeys
Here i took a picture last Saturday of a Donkey in Paxna...

Beautiful surroundings, and he is gorgeous, looking right at you. What a lovely shiny coat. I bet he gets brushed down lovingly.

I wish he was mine

I've been wondering about that overly shiny coat ....

Ray .... Are you sure this is not a Mule?

I hope not, if it is he won't have nothing to "Bray" about.

Maybe Muletiades knows better ... he is from Stroumbi the Great, where they breed the best!

[Tim Drayton]

Tim,

Rembetiko started with the refugees from Asia Minor in 1923. But its highest expression was in the creations of composers like Tsitsanis, Mitsakis, Panou, Tokas none of whom were from Asia Minor and some of the best lyrics are from people like Papadopoulos who was Athens born and bred.

The original rembetika were in fact called Smyrneika and were more like laments than the defiant rembetika of the post war period.

The reference in rembetika to cannabis use made it a target of the Metaxas government in the late 30s, but after the war all that changed.

Thanks for the info. I truly love this style of music and want to find out more about it.

[Maynard23]

Speaking of Donkeys
Here i took a picture last Saturday of a Donkey in Paxna...

Beautiful surroundings, and he is gorgeous, looking right at you. What a lovely shiny coat. I bet he gets brushed down lovingly.

I wish he was mine

I've been wondering about that overly shiny coat ....

Ray .... Are you sure this is not a Mule?

I hope not, if it is he won't have nothing to "Bray" about.

Maybe Muletiades knows better ... he is from Stroumbi the Great, where they breed the best!

As a matter of fact, that could actually BE Miltiades in disguise, I seem to have read in his past posts that he is keeping his eye on a lot of members, it DOES look as though he is on the lookout !!.